Mechanical starter for internal-combustion engines.



, A. LIBERTY. MECHANICAL STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30. 1915. I? I 2 SHEETS-SHEET I- Patented Nova 2?, 19117.,

A. LIBERTY.

MECHANICAL STARTER FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30. I915.

JLRRERV Patented N0v.27(,.1917

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.ARCHIE LIBERTYyOF AMASA, MICHIGAN.

MECHANIQAL STARTER FOB, INTEBhTAL-QOMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 191

Application filed September 30, 1915. Serial No. 53,325.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Anomn'Linnn'rv, a citizen of the United States, residing at Amasa, in the county of Iron and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mechanical Starters for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of internal combustion engines, and more specifically to mechanical starters for internal combustion engines. 7 The object of my invention is to provide a mechanical starter for internal combustion engines which will be entirely spring operated, thereby doing away with the expensive and uncertain electric or air operated starters. My device is extremely simple and durable in construction, and could be installed as a part ofinternal combustion engines at a very small cost. The arrangement of my starteris such that it may beincreased or decreased in power depending upon the engine upon which it is used, merely by the addition or subtraction of the number of coil springs forming a part there of, and it may be used to start the engine a great many times without necessitating the rewinding thereof.

Other objects of this invention not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be clearly understood from the detailed description and drawings forming a part of this specification.

Furthermore, this invention consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts more particularly described in the following specification and embodied in the claim appended hereunto and forming a part of this application.

Referring now to the drawings, which are merely illustrative of my invention,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved starter.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 is a top plan detail of the winding lever.

Referring further to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the respective views, 1 designates a casing of suitable size and shape provided with bearings 2 fixedly mounted therein and preferably coextensive with the winding pawl 8.

in size with the cross-section of the casing. A main drive shaft 3 is loosely mounted within said bearings 2 and extends longitudinally of the casing 1. A. plurality of coil springs 4: are spaced apart upon said shaft, between said bearings 2, one end of each of said springs being mounted upon said shaft 3, while the other end is secured to a stationary rod interposed between said bearings near the top thereof.

A ratchet disk 6 is keyed to the shaft 3 near the forward end thereof, while a pivoted arm 7, having a winding pawl S piv otedthereto near the upper end thereof, is loosely mounted upon the end of said shaft 3. A support 11 secured to the bearing 2 is mounted within the forward end of the easing 1. A winding lever 12, one end of which is connected to the pivoted arm 7 and the other end connected to a hand lever 13 by means of a connecting rod 14, is pivotally mounted upon said support 11. A reciprocatory movement is thus applied to the arm 7 by means of levers 12 and 13, thereby causing the ratchet disk 6 to be turned for winding the springs A locking pawl 9 is pivoted to a support 10 secured to the end wall of the casing 1, said pawl being adapted to lock said ratchet disk 6 against reverse movement upon each return of the arm 7.

A spring operated ratchet disk clutch 15 is mounted upon the opposite end of the shaft 3, said clutch consisting of a clutch disk 16 formed with sprocket teeth circumferentially thereof, and a sliding disk 25. A sprocket drive chain (not shown) may be interposed between the clutch disk 16 and the crank shaft of the engine.

The releasing mechanism consists of a rod 17 slidably mounted within the bearings 2 and eXtending longitudinally of the casing 1, and is connected to a pedal lever 18 lo cated at a point convenient to the operator. A shaft 19 is mounted transversely within said casing near the forward end thereof. Upon said shaft is mounted a bell crank lever 20, one arm of which engages the rod 17 while the other arm is adapted to engage Stops 21 are mounted upon the rod 17 on both sides of the arm of the bell crank lever 20. A lift ing arm 22 is fixedly mounted upon the shaft 19 and is adapted to engage with the pawl 9. A clutch lever 23 is pivoted to a support 24 mounted on the bearing2 near the rear end of the casing 1. One end of the other end thereof actuates the sliding disk 2-5 of the ratchet clutch 15, springs 25 being interposed between the clutchdisk and the ratchet disk and between the clutch disk and the lever 23, respectively, whereby the various parts will be returned to inoperative position when pressure on the pedal lever 18 is removed.

. Thus it will be noted that when it is de sired to operate my device, the foot pedal is actuated, thereby causing the stops 21 to engage the bell crank lever 20, whereby said lever and said arm 22 will remove the pawls 8 and 9 respectively, from the ratchet disk 6. The movement of the rod 17 also actuates the clutch lever 23 which causes the sliding disk 25 to lock with the clutch disk 16. As the clutch is locked an instant prior to the release of the ratchet disk 6, the unwinding of the springs 4 will cause the shaft 3 to rotate, thereby rotating the crank shaft through the medium of the sprocket chain whereby the engineis started.

When completely wound, the springs will actuate the starting mechanism of the engine a number of times before necessitating the rewinding. thereof. To rewind said springs the winding pawl 8 is actuated by means of the hand lever 13, whereby the ratchet disk 6 and the shaft 3 are rotated. As one end of each of the springs is fixed to'said shaft, the rotation thereof will wind said springs. 35

The utility, adaptability, and advantages of my improved form of mechanical starters for internal combustion engines being obvious, it is unnecessary to further enlarge upon the same herein.

Having now described and pointed out the new and useful features of my invention, I do not limit myself to the shape of mounted within said casing, a shaft rota-- tably mounted in said bearings, a rod interposed between said bearings, springs secured at one end to said shaft and at the other end to said rod, a ratchet disk keyed upon one end of said shaft, an arm pivotally mounted upon said shaft adjacent said ratchet disk, a pawl mounted upon said arm adapted to actuate said ratchet disk, lever operated means connected'to said arm adapted o actuate the same, a supporting member mounted upon said casing adjacent said ratchet disk, a pawl mounted upon said sup- 7 porting member adapted to preventreverse motion of said ratchetdisk, a shaftmounted transversely of said casing, a bell crank lever fixed to said shaftand adapted to disen gage said last-mentioned pawl, an arm "fiX- edly mounted upon said shaft adapted to disengage said first-mentioned pawl, a clutch mounted upon the other end of said first-mentioned jshaft, an arm -mounted within said casing adapted "to throw said clutch into operative engagement, and a lever operated rod slidably mounted within said bearings and connected to said lastmentioned lever and said bell crank, lever adapted toactuate thesame. V a

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature hereto.

Cooies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0. r

Alter-1m LIBERTY. v V 

